90 LETTERS FROM THE BACKWOODS. 



recurrence of this rattling of wheels had ceased to be 

 an object of remark, and was attributed bj the family 

 to rats or some other similar cause. 



But not long since, a young lady visiting the family 

 was placed in this room without any mention being 

 made of the mysterious sounds sometimes heard in it. 

 She had expected friends during the day, who had 

 not come, and consequently their arrival was not an- 

 ticipated till the following day. But at midnight 

 ("the witching hour" when ghosts awake and fairies 

 walk their nightly rounds) she was roused from her 

 slumbers by the rapid roll of carriage wheels over the 

 hard ground. Supposing her friends had come, she 

 jumped from bed and hastened to the window. The 

 bright round moon was shining down, making the 

 woods and fields around almost as light as day. She 

 looked up the road, but no carriage was in sight, and 

 naught but the still moonlight sleeping over the scene 

 met her gaze. She turned back astonished, when the 

 rattling of wheels again shook the room. Supposing 

 now that the carriage had gone round to the back 

 door, she ran through the hall and raised the window 

 to greet her friends, but naught but the quiet moon- 

 light was there also. She was now thoroughly 

 alarmed, and hastened back to her room, when the 

 rapid roll of wheels again met her ear. This crowned 

 the mystery, and she gave a shriek and went into 

 hysteric fits. Since then, it has been called " the 

 haunted room." 



I slept none the less soundly for these stories, not 

 being given to superstitious fears. I am more afraid 



